


Sleeping Beauty

by negiramen



Series: My Boredom Is Infinite [3]
Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Futuristic, M/M, Sci-Fi, being human basically sucks, creeper!myungsoo, woogyu - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-07
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-23 22:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1581332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/negiramen/pseuds/negiramen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Woohyun travels all the way to Venus to find a job.<br/>A Venusian noble hires him to take care of his garden, but Woohyun gets more than he bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sleeping Beauty

**Author's Note:**

> Another one <3 don't steal! Story is my own like always.  
> The title is from the fairy tale :) - for obvious reasons.

 

  
  
Woohyun is originally from Earth. His mother is an Earthling and his father too, that’s about the most boring and normal background one can have. It’s commonly known that humans are the most useless race in the universe. Their intelligence cannot compare to those from Mercury. Martians are the strongest and fastest. Venusians are the best artists, no matter if it’s art, fiction or music. People from Saturn have the newest technology and are known to be the tallest among the races. If your parents are from Uranus you’re automatically the best person to take care of plants, since they really have that so-called ‘ _green thumb_ ’. The list with special abilities goes on and on. The only planet comparable to the lameness of Earth is Pluto, which is only a dwarf planet so it doesn’t really count, but at least Woohyun can say with pride that he isn’t from Pluto.  
  
Life as a ‘normal human’ is pretty hard although he grows up on Earth, but it teaches Woohyun a lot of things. It makes him stronger because he learns how to fight (though his muscles cannot compare to the muscles of a Martian). He learns that he can never win against someone from Mercury in an exam, but at least he has a heart. That’s what his mother always emphasized.  
  
 _“They may know more than us, but we have something that no other race has: a heart to understand others. Our feelings and way of acting make us humans - they may call us stupid for that but deep inside they know that they can never have what we have.”_  
  
Too bad - a living heart and feelings won’t get you a job after college. Woohyun wants to work as a florist or gardener - or work in the research department as a biologist - but nothing works out. He has multiple job interviews, but his grades will never win against the others and some people just don’t hire humans for different reasons (like short age, diseases, mating behavior and so on – Woohyun is so tired of it). Although he’s living on Earth, it brings no privilege to be human here. His last straw is applying abroad and with abroad he means to apply for a job on another planet. It’s quite common these days to leave Earth to work somewhere else. Woohyun has to sell almost everything he owns to earn the money for an ISST (Intergalactic Space Travel Ticket) for the cheapest shuttle there is. It’s so cheap that Woohyun fears, he’s being scammed (he has heard rumors of people getting kidnapped so that their organs could be sold) or maybe won’t reach his destination alive because the ship turns out to be a wreck.  
  
Woohyun has no one to part from on Earth. His parents are both dead. They died during a terrorist attack in Tokyo four years ago and left him all alone. He has some friends, but they’re not really close and he doesn’t see the need to tell them goodbye. After college their ways had parted somehow and now everyone is living their own lives. He had his fair share of girlfriends – of all races, though he would never ever date a Martian again, that was trauma he’d rather not be reminded of - in the past, but none of it lasted long. Woohyun is sure that no one will miss him here, which is kind of sad, but he’s planning on starting a new life somewhere else. He will find a job and the perfect (possibly human) woman for him, date and then marry, maybe become successful and just maybe they would return to Earth someday to show their children how perfect Mother Earth was. The perfect, peaceful life anyone else with an average descent like Woohyun longs for.  
  
The hardest part is probably deciding where he should go. In the end a dart decides the destination for him: Venus. Woohyun can’t help but proudly nod his head at the result. Venus has the most beautiful people of the universe. The planet has no own water system but - thanks to technologies and trade between the planets - artificial rivers were created on Venus. Still, gardens are rare on the planet and always high maintenance cases so professional gardeners are always welcome. Luck couldn’t have chosen a better place for him, since Woohyun had studied exactly that.  
  
His final day on Earth is as normal as it could possibly be. He eats Korean food for the last time, visits the park close to his home and feeds some sharks in the pond with lemon bread. Afterwards he watches a movie in an old cinema, which kind of looks like the kind people used to have in the past. He’s seen it in books and it is so much more human than the big golden globe theater, which stands tall in the middle of the city. Woohyun has already forgotten the title of the movie as soon as he sits down, but it doesn’t matter what he’s watching. He just wants to see a plain, normal movie because he’s sure that Venusians don’t watch old movies from humans.  
  
Woohyun finishes the day with a bottle of wine before he goes to sleep in his bed for the last time – tomorrow it will probably already belong to another desperate human student, who can’t afford to live anywhere else. Woohyun leaves a message for the new tenant. It’s nothing much.  
  
Maybe he just wants to leave something behind after all - some kind of proof that Nam Woohyun had lived here. That someone called Nam Woohyun had existed on Earth.  
  
Tomorrow he would be Nam Woohyun who left the Earth to find his luck and destiny would prove him wrong or right.

  
  


* * *

 

  
  
The flight to Venus goes abnormally fast, but that’s just because Woohyun is sleeping throughout the whole journey. It’s kind of sad because he can’t even catch a glimpse of the universe in its raw beauty, but at least he reaches Venus alive. He still has all of his limbs, his organs are there as well (at least Woohyun hasn’t found any cuts on his body indicating that something has been taken from him) and the only thing bothering him is the sore feeling in his back from lying down for a longer period of time. He’s kind of sleepy too, though he had done nothing but rest the last few days, but Woohyun knows that it is not real ‘ _sleep_ ’. The machines just put the body in an artificial coma for a limited period of time, during which the person is completely unconscious, while the machine takes care of his nutrition - and other problems.  
  
Woohyun steps out of the shuttle with shaking steps and blinks a few times because everything is so bright. Venus is closer to the sun than Earth which results into brighter daylight. Normal people like him can only survive here because of the advanced technology, which creates a proper atmosphere for them to live in. Thanks to that he can breathe and the sunrays don’t kill him on the spot. A rough Martian guy pushes him to the side because he’s standing in the middle of the path. Woohyun is about to growl at him, but he quickly closes his mouth because the guy is double the size of himself and looks like he could smash the moon with his fist. Woohyun waits until he is gone before he grabs his bag and leaves the airport.  
  
He’s pretty clueless on where to go and what to do next. At least he doesn’t have to fight against any language barriers because an intelligent person had designed a handy translation device for the ear. It is small and could be implanted into the skin right behind the ear, if you were scared of carrying it around and eventually losing it. Woohyun is glad that he has one, because otherwise it would’ve been hard to find a hostel for the night - if you could even call it ‘night’. It is not even dark, but Woohyun’s body is screaming for sleep, so he gives in and puts a pillow on his face to create darkness.

 

 

* * *

 

  
The next day Woohyun goes to the job center to apply for a position as a gardener. Again luck seems to be on his side as the Venusian woman immediately smiles and hands him a few papers to look at.  
  
“It’s an urgent request for a gardener we got this morning. He’s a pretty well-known noble, so you probably won’t have to worry about the pay. He likes to be picky with his workers though because he likes them good-looking. You’re pretty good for a human, maybe he will give you the job.” The woman with the light blue skin color and shining yellow eyes gives him an encouraging smile. Woohyun feels almost welcome thanks to her, because she at least tries to be nice to him.  
  
Woohyun checks the date on the papers. Everything looks perfect, almost too perfect, and the photographs of the place look wonderful. He can’t wait to see the garden with his own eyes. He wonders how the old worker could’ve left such a beauty behind. “I’ll try it. Thank you so much!”  
  
He travels to the castle – _a frigging castle!_ –  that the noble owns. Woohyun informs himself about the man on his way there. He is called Myung Soo, a noble who manages his own business with huge success. The name sounds Korean to him, but the man on the picture is obviously too beautiful to be human. His facial structure is sharp and clean without a flaw. The skin is only light blue, almost not noticeable. Woohyun wonders if one of his parents was possibly human, because Myung Soo doesn’t have the usual yellowish eye color of his race. He can find no information in the papers he was given, but in the end it doesn’t really matter to him. He just needs a job to get some money.  
  


 

* * *

 

 

  
The castle is gigantic. Woohyun feels overwhelmed by the sight and he has to remind himself to close his mouth while he takes it all in with his eyes. A butler greets him at the big front gate. He’s kind of small and looks like a dwarf, but his eyes are really mean. They seem to burn through Woohyun’s skin.  
  
His voice is sharp like iron. “State your name and reason to be here.”  
  
Woohyun clears his throat nervously. “Nam Woohyun. I’m here for the job interview…for the gardener position.”  
  
“I see. Vynilia told me that a human would be coming.” His small eyes check him out and the smaller man lets out a disapproving grunt. He starts grumbling things Woohyun can barely catch. “Nowadays they send every beggar without a degree to us.”  
  
He snorts. “I have a degree and I’m more than qualified to work here. And if I’m not wrong the master of this house will decide if I’m going to work here or not. So it would be nice if you could let me inside and show me to him.”  
  
The little dwarf – he’s from Neptune that’s why he is so small – gives him a glare before he sends a sign to someone Woohyun can’t see. The gate opens slowly and he can finally enter. “You should work on your manners before you plan on getting a job in the household of a noble family. Master Myung Soo will kick you out in less than a minute.”

 

* * *

 

  
  
“He’s hired!”  
  
“ _What_?” The word sounds more like a squeak to Woohyun and he gives Nox – that’s the name of the bad-tempered butler - a triumphant smile.  
  
It really has been less than a minute, but instead of getting thrown out, Woohyun had managed to get the job. He is surprised himself because Myung Soo had only given him the chance to say his name and origin, before declaring that he is hired. Woohyun hadn’t even told him about his education yet.  
  
“I overheard your conversation at the gate. Really amusing, I must say. I like him, Nox. Get a room ready for him.” The Venusian noble waves his hand and dismisses the small man, who gives Woohyun another sharp glare before he leaves. Myung Soo smiled at the younger. “So, Woohyun, tell me about yourself.”  
  
He licks his lips nervously. “I’ve studied-“  
  
“Not boring details like that. I assume that you have the knowledge and skills to work here, otherwise the job center wouldn’t have sent you here. I want to know you as a _person_. How old are you? Do you have  family? Why are you here?” The other man folds his hands over his crossed legs and gives Woohyun a calm glance.  
  
Woohyun relaxes a bit because the noble seems like a nice person. He isn’t stuck-up like he had expected. “I’m 22, sir. I have no more family that’s why I nothing chained me to Earth anymore. I wanted to see something new and I needed a place to work at, so...I came here?”  
  
He lets out a nervous laugh and Myung Soo smiles slightly. “Earth…tell me about it. It’s been a while since I’ve been there. Is it still as beautiful as before?”  
  
“You’ve been to Earth before?” Woohyun asks in surprise. It’s nothing special, especially since the noble seems to have enough money to travel anywhere he wants, but it surprises him nevertheless.  
  
“Yes.” Myung Soo says and his expression becomes kind of dreamy, like he’s lost in another world of his own. His long fingers trace the edge of his desk slowly and Woohyun can’t help but notice how delicate they look. “I found my biggest treasure there. It’s a special planet to me.”  
  
Woohyun nods slowly, though his new master doesn’t spare him a glance. “Well…I don’t know when you’ve last visited the Earth, but I think everything is still as before. Though the number of humans seems to shrink every day – not that I’m complaining, of course, I mean intergala-“  
  
The noble man waves his hand. “No need to lick my boots like that. I certainly understand it if you think that Earth has too many non-human residents. You should tell me more another time, for now I guess you could use a guide through the castle.”  
  
Just in that moment someone knocks on the door and Woohyun turns his head slightly. Nox enters the room with his usual grumpy expression. “The room is ready, Master Myung Soo.”  
  
“Thank you, Nox. Please give Woohyun a short tour around the castle. We wouldn’t want him to lose his way in here.” The Venusian chuckles and the butler lets out a huff.  
  
“Yes, Master, we wouldn’t want _that_.” Woohyun shudders slightly because  Nox looks like he would gladly let him rot somewhere until the end of time.  
  
Woohyun clears his throat once more and looks at the noble. “What about…my payment…?”  
  
Myung Soo opens one of the drawers of his desk and takes a small pouch out. He throws it in Woohyun’s direction and the other catches it in the last second. He’s about to check the contents when Nox hits him harshly against the head – which is quite a feat considering that he barely reaches up to Woohyun’s waist.  
  
“Don’t be rude. Master Myung Soo gave you more money than a monkey like you deserves. Take it with thankfulness.”  
  
Woohyun narrows his eyes at the smaller male. The noble interjects their staring battle with a clap of his hands. “You can count it later, Woohyun. Now leave, you two. I’m busy.”  
  
Nox literarily kicks him out of the room and then starts walking down the floor with fast steps. Woohyun catches up to him quickly and puts the pouch into his bag.  
  
The butler doesn’t speak a word to him while they’re walking down several hallways. Woohyun tries to remember the way to Myung Soo’s room, but it is difficult because everything looks the same and he has no idea where they are even going. After a while they stop in front of a room and Nox opens the door for him. The inside looks pretty normal to Woohyun  - at least compared to the master room (compared to his old apartment this is a huge upgrade). The dwarf hands him a key.  
  
“This is your room while you are working here. You can use anything inside however you wish, though the maids would be thankful if you didn’t make the place too dirty. You are not allowed to bring any _companions_ to your room or to even bring them on the property of Master Myung Soo. Also, anything that happens in the castle stays in here. You are not  to talk about whatever you see or hear here. Some people are eager to know what Master’s reason for success is or if he has a weakness and it’s our job to protect him from any harm. Leave your bag here, I will show you the other important places you should know and then you can come back to unpack it.” Nox says with his cold, emotionless voice and turns around immediately without waiting for him.  
  
Woohyun throws his bag inside and quickly locks the door, before he tries to catch up again. Nox ignores all of his questions and instead recites a mountain of house rules that he surely has memorized since birth. Woohyun tries to keep up with all the information, especially where the kitchen is or where the bathrooms for the workers and servants are, when it is time for what, where the shed with his work tools is, which parts of the property are his to take care of and which places he should never put his “ _dirty little ape feet_ ” on.  
  
They stop in front of one of the doors. Woohyun blinks and gives Nox a questioning look.  
  
“You are not allowed to _ever_ enter this room. Don’t even look at it or ask yourself what is inside with that little bean brain of yours. It’s a rule that applies to anyone in this household, no matter in which position. Think of this as the only and last time you will ever set your eyes on this door.” The butler explains and then as usual turns around to continue the tour.  
  
He wonders what could be inside. It must be something very valuable to the master of the castle. Woohyun’s eyes linger on the door a little longer than necessary. He feels a strange pull towards the forbidden room as if his heart is telling him to open the door and looks inside. It’s a weird feeling of longing that Woohyun can’t quite put his finger on.  
  
“Monkey boy, move it.” Nox growls.  
  
The younger breaks his gaze away from the door. He thinks about reminding the butler that he has a proper name and that he’s not a frigging monkey, but Nox surely would ignore his protests – like always. Woohyun gives up on getting along with the little man. Maybe Nox is just unfriendly to everyone but his master.

  
  


 

* * *

 

  
  
The tour ends with a huge headache for Woohyun and Nox seems to be more than just relieved to finally rid himself of the nuisance called Nam Woohyun. Latter is happy too because the butler has been anything but nice to him since his arrival. Woohyun is left alone in his room with nothing special to do. He lies down on the bed to rest. He’s still trying to get his head around all the information Nox has just given him. He can’t forget that one room in the west wing – the forbidden one. Woohyun isn’t eager to lose his job, but he just can’t forget about it. _Maybe it’s the treasure that Myung Soo mentioned before …no, stop thinking about it! You just got a job, don’t lose it already!_  
  
Woohyun pushes the thought of the mysterious room aside. He recites names of plants he knows instead and sometime in between he falls asleep again.

  
  


 

* * *

 

  
  
The work in the garden is fulfilling for him and Woohyun has fun too after a few days. The first days are filled with stress and mistakes - and with Nox’ loud nagging voice. Woohyun gets lost several times and misses the meals more than once because of it, but at least some of the servants in the castle are nicer than Nox. Woohyun learns that the butler is commonly known as the strictest and meanest person in the castle and almost everyone avoids him because of that. He is quite relieved because he is not the only that Nox has his eyes on. His work gets fun after he is used to the place. Woohyun spends a lot of time in the garden. He has no real work shifts – the garden is a 24/7 job – but he would be dead if Nox caught him skipping a day of work. Myung Soo seems satisfied with his work. The young master of the household takes a stroll through it from time to time and Woohyun is glad that his work is appreciated.  
  
Whenever he is not in the garden, Woohyun is most likely in the kitchen to eat or in his room to sleep. Sometimes he goes to town, but it’s kind of depressing for him to go there because the place is full of Venusians and he feels like the only human being on the whole planet. It makes him a bit lonely, but he had chosen this kind of life far away from his own planet. The Venusians are a friendly race if you are Venusian, but to Woohyun they are snobby most of the time. Humans are not really welcome, no matter which planet you travel too. Maybe he should have gone to Pluto, because that’s about the only place where humans are not the lowest of the food chain. But at least Myung Soo treats him just like any other person and the other servants are nice too (except for Nox, who probably doesn’t even know what friendliness is).  
  
On busy days he doesn’t even think about the room once. He’s almost forgotten about it after two weeks at the castle, but then he overhears two of the maids in the kitchen. They are keeping their voices low, but Woohyun hears them nevertheless. He thinks they are too careless, but he doesn’t interrupt them because he is curious about the content of their conversation.  
  
“Haven’t you ever wondered what’s inside that room?”  
  
He hears a gasp from the other maid. “We’re not allowed to go there or even think about it! When Nox finds out-“  
  
“He won’t know if you keep your mouth shut, Lil. I’ve been working here for seven years and never saw it open, but yesterday when I was passing it…the door was slightly ajar…”  
  
“Stop it! We shouldn’t talk about it. Don’t tell me you’ve looked inside!”  
  
Woohyun thinks his heart might stop from all the tension. “Keep it down! I took a quick glimpse inside. No one saw me.”  
  
“So…what was inside?”  
  
There is only silence for a moment. Woohyun is close to jumping up and demanding her to continue, but then her voice sounds again. “An angel.”  
  
Woohyun’s heart skips a beat, though a frown appears on his face. _An angel? Does she mean some kind of statue or picture?_  
  
“I’m telling you – it’s an angel! I could only look at it for the blink of an eye, but I know what I’ve seen. There was a person in some kind of…box. I couldn’t make it out clearly…”  
  
“A person? I thought you said that you saw an angel!”  
  
“That person looked like one!” The older maid protests.  
  
“Was it even a living person?” The younger servant asks doubtfully, but before her friend can answer the door to the kitchen is slammed open by Nox.  
  
“Kara.” The older maid quickly stands up from her seat and lowers her gaze to the ground. “Master Myung Soo wishes to speak with you – now.”  
  
The maids exchange a short glance that Woohyun doesn’t miss, although he’s trying hard to look disinterested about the tense atmosphere. He can’t help but wonder if it is a coincidence or if the master of the household is summoning her because of her misbehavior. Woohyun silently thanks himself for not giving in to the temptation before. Otherwise, he would probably be in her shoes now.  
  
Kara leaves the kitchen with her head hanging low and Nox throws a warning glance to everyone else present before he follows her closely. Woohyun thinks that they won’t see her again from now on and of course his guess is correct. She doesn’t return to work that day or any other. Of course one would get fired for disobeying such a command.

  
  


* * *

 

  
  
Everything goes well for Woohyun for another month. After the incident he’s avoiding the room even more than before. Woohyun really doesn’t want to lose his job, especially since Myung Soo is such a friendly man and he often invites the young human over for a cup of tea to talk about Earth, despite Woohyun only being a servant. Nox obviously dislikes these kind of meetings between them, but it’s the only time in the month when Woohyun can order Nox around. Who wouldn’t enjoy that to the fullest?  
  
Woohyun goes to town after he is done with cutting the edges of the hedge because he wants to buy new clothes for himself. Thanks to his master, he has quite a nice amount of money now. He’s only missing a partner now to settle down completely. Woohyun is about to enter one of the popular shops, when someone suddenly grabs his arm from behind.  
  
“Excuse me, sir!”  
  
He isn’t used to being addressed as “sir” so he turns around in surprise. An elderly Venusian woman looks up to him with a sad expression. “Young lad, aren’t you working at the castle on the hill? The one Myung Soo owns?”  
  
“I-uhm…yes, I do. Can I help you?” Woohyun replies politely.  
  
The woman gives him a desperate look. “Have you seen my daughter? She hasn’t come home in a while and she didn’t leave me any message. Please…her name is Kara.”  
  
He shivers lightly at the mention of her name. _Maybe she didn’t dare to return home after she was fired?_ “I’m sorry, but she got fired about a month ago. She …broke one of the house rules, but I don’t know the details. We thought that she had already returned home. Maybe she…went to a friend’s house?”  
  
“A month?” Kara’s mother slightly sways to the side and Woohyun quickly supports her with his hands. “No, no! She would come home. Kara always told me everything. She would never leave without a word! Please! Can you ask around in the castle if someone has seen her or heard of her? I need to know where she is!”  
  
Woohyun looks around anxiously. Many people are already looking in their direction and he doesn’t want any more attention than necessary. Nox has warned him to keep everything what’s happening inside the castle a secret, but he can’t just leave the mother hanging like this.  
  
“I’ll try to ask around if anybody as heard anything, but I can’t promise you anything.”  
  
The Venusian woman gives him a teary look and squeezes his hands. “Thank you, young man. I live down the street if you find out anything. Please help me find my girl.”  
  
In the end, Woohyun goes home without buying any new clothes. His mind is rotating around Kara’s disappearance. He tries asking around in the castle without Nox noticing, but no one has seen her. Woohyun wants to ask her best friend Lil about it, but the other maid is nowhere to be found. He shivers slightly because their rooms are empty too, and there’s no sign of the girls. He really hopes that they’ve just eloped together.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Two new maids join their household the next day, but Woohyun is still clueless about Lil and Kara. They’ve disappeared without a trace. Myung Soo summons him again in the afternoon and Woohyun hopes that his master can maybe give him some kind of information about their whereabouts.  
  
“Who?” Myung Soo asks with a cocked eyebrow.  
  
“Kara and Lil.” Woohyun repeats their names and the young noble puts down his cup with a small smile.  
  
“The two maids? Sadly, I had to fire them because they broke one of the rules. Why are you asking?”  
  
Woohyun gulps nervously. “I-I was just wondering what they were doing now. They’re nice girls.”  
  
Myung Soo laughs, but his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Don’t tell me you had an affair with one of them? Or maybe both?”  
  
“What?! No, of course not!” Woohyun immediately protests.  
  
Suddenly Myung Soo’s smile turns cold and the other can’t suppress a shudder. “There are some women in this world that you can’t trust, Woohyun. They put their dirty little fingers on things that belong to someone else and they’re just waiting to steal from you as soon as you turn your back.”  
  
For the first time Woohyun feels something similar to fear in the presence of the Venusian noble. Myung Soo’s eyes are cold and his whole posture looks intimidating. Woohyun wonders if maybe something bad has happened to the maids after they had talked about the forbidden room in the west wing.  
  
“You should forget about them, Woohyun. Concentrate on your work. It would be a pity to lose such an entertaining man. You’re still young, think about your possibilities.” Myung Soo puts down his cup and stands up. It’s the sign for Woohyun to leave and he quickly gets up as well. “Goodbye, Woohyun. Don’t disappoint me.”

He can’t stop thinking about the whole mystery - the room, Kara and Lil, the desperate mother and Myung Soo’s cold behavior, when he mentioned them. Woohyun doesn’t dare to go town again too fast. He feels like Nox is watching him a lot more closely than before and his gut is telling him that he shouldn’t visit Kara’s mother at the moment. Woohyun concentrates on his work instead and tries to look like an obedient worker, but deep inside he’s worried about the truth and his thoughts always come back to the source of everything: the room.

  
  


* * *

 

  
  
Woohyun finds the door ajar on one of his walks through the hallways. Nox is nowhere to be seen and his fingers are itching to open the door a little further. His steps slow down and he gets closer to it casually. Light comes from inside of the room because the big windows are turned towards the south and the sun shines right through them. Woohyun looks around once more before he gets closer to the gap. He decides that it would be too dangerous to stand outside and watch, so he grabs all his courage and the next moment he’s already inside the room. His fingers close the door behind his back, while his eyes take in everything in the room. It’s almost blinding because the sun is bright and everything inside the room is white: the walls, the bed, the table, the chair, the curtains and the floor. But there’s one thing that is an obvious contradiction to everything else. There’s a big pod in the middle of the room. On a closer look he can tell that the lower part is made of metal, while the upper part is out of solid glass. _It looks like a coffin._ Woohyun carefully steps closer to inspect the inside of the mysterious object.  
  
His eyes widen at the beauty inside the box. It’s a man, but his skin looks as white as the rest of the room. Woohyun can understand why Kara described him as an angel. His eyes are closed, but his long eyelashes grace his skin like feathers. The black hair is a strong contrast to his skin, but it looks incredibly soft and fine. The lips are small and pink like a woman’s and Woohyun unconsciously wishes to touch them at least once. He’s never had a relationship with a man before, but neither has he seen a woman as beautiful. He is breathtakingly gorgeous, although he is just lying there with closed eyes.  
  
Only then Woohyun notices that the person inside the glass box is not breathing, at least he can’t see any movement of his chest that is hidden under a plain, white shirt. His eyes wander little lower, but he quickly averts his eyes when he sees the white thighs, which the short shirt cannot hide. Woohyun inspects the box again and then he notices a cable that is connected to one of the arms. _What is-_ He suddenly hears the door behind him move and Woohyun panics. He looks around in panic and quickly decides to hide himself inside the wardrobe.  
  
He silently curses as he tries to hide himself properly behind the sets of clothes. He left the wardrobe slightly open to gaze into the room. His heart is beating like crazy as he observes Myung Soo enter the room. His breath hitches when the noble looks in the direction of his hiding place, but to his luck he doesn’t come over. Woohyun watches as the Venusian walks over to the box in the middle. His fingertips stroke over the glass softly and the noble smiles.  
  
“You’re getting prettier every day.” Myung Soo speaks with a low voice. His fingers wander a little lower and Woohyun can hear a quiet _click_ , before the glass part opens by itself. “I have to change your clothes and we should bath you. We wouldn’t want any dirt on you, right?”  
  
Woohyun shivers lightly. _What is happening?_ _Why do I feel like I’ve seen this kind of box before? Where was it?_  
  
Myung Soo picks the figure up and carries the fragile man towards the bed. He gently puts him down and strokes his hair with his long fingers. “Wake up, beautiful.”  
  
The noble suddenly turns away and walks over to the wardrobe Woohyun is currently hiding in. The human male starts to panic again and presses his body deeper into the corner. _Please don’t find me. Don’t find me!_

Myung Soo opens only one side of the wardrobe and Woohyun squeezes himself even more into the shadows of his corner. The hand of the noble misses him by a hair and instead grabs one of the white shirts. Afterwards Myung Soo walks away again without closing the wardrobe. Woohyun dares to lean a little more forward to get the bed into his line of sight again. He notices that the person on the bed is moving a bit now.  
  
“Are you tired? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you – like always.” Myung Soo’s right hand touches the right ankle and moves upwards slowly. The hand caresses the unprotected thigh slowly and Woohyun feels a flare of jealousy run through his veins.  
  
The figure on the bed lets out a whimper. Woohyun can see that his eyes are slightly open now, but he seems to have problems to keep them open. As if he were still dizzy from- Woohyun looks back to the pod and then he remembers it. _It must be the same as the machines on board the shuttle. They have a glass cover too and the machines make it seem like the person is dead if you just look at them. But why…?_  
  
“M-Myu…n...” The voice of the pale male is weak and barely audible.  
  
“Shush, calm down. It will be over soon.” The noble says as his hand goes a little higher and lands under the hem of the shirt. Woohyun can imagine where the hand is touching right now and he clenches his fists.  
  
The man on the bed tries to move his legs away, but he’s obviously too weak, so Myung Soo just keeps him in place. The Venusian strips him of the shirt and throws it on the ground. Woohyun can’t help but eye the naked beauty on the bed in awe, but he quickly snaps out of it as Myung Soo picks the man up once again.  
  
The helpless male struggles weakly against his hold. “…p-please…free…”  
  
“Shush. You’ll be with me forever, Sunggyu. I can’t let you go.”  
  
A broken sob leaves the quivering lips of the pale male. “…home…”  
  
“You’re home. Come on, let’s make you clean again.”  
  
Woohyun can see the face of the pale man a little better when the noble passes the wardrobe to go to the room right next to this one. They are connected through a door that Woohyun hasn’t noticed before. The face of the beautiful stranger looks very sad and Woohyun catches sight of a lonely tear before they disappear. He knows that this could be his only chance to leave, although he doesn’t want to. He doesn’t know why Myung Soo keeps the fragile man inside a machine like that. God knows what his reasons are for putting someone into artificial coma in a room somewhere in his castle, but Woohyun feels like the noble is restricting Sunggyu’s freedom against his wishes.

He presses his lips together and quickly moves out of the wardrobe. He walks to the door with quiet steps. Woohyun can hear flowing water from the room next door and Myung Soo’s voice sends shivers down his spine.

“Stop crying, it will leave ugly traces on your flawless skin. Are you that happy to see me? I’m happy too, Sunggyu. So happy…”  
  
Woohyun bites his lower lip and carefully checks the hallway before he leaves the room. He walks back to his own room while he thinks about the thing he just saw. He’s pretty sure that Myung Soo will put the other male into his ‘ _cage_ ’ again once he is done. He wonders what the connection between them is. Why is the noble keeping the other in a comatose state? Woohyun can’t stop thinking about it and he wonders if maybe the whole situation is a little deeper than expected and if maybe Kara and Lil have been punished for more than just looking into a room without permission. He wonders if Sunggyu is human. Although he is beautiful enough to be from another galaxy, he seems more human than anyone else he ever saw. Woohyun suddenly remembers Myung Soo’s words about finding his biggest treasure on Earth. _Could it be…?_  
  
Woohyun can’t find sleep that night. He ponders about what he should do now. Does he even have the right to interfere? Maybe there’s a reason for everything…but he can’t forget the broken voice he heard in the room. _Who are you kidding, Nam Woohyun? Your destiny was sealed the moment you entered that room._

  
  


* * *

 

  
  
Continuing with his work feels like torture. He can’t tell anyone about his discovery, especially not when Nox has his ears literally everywhere and everything he hears will be transmitted to Myung Soo immediately. Woohyun has trouble smiling whenever he meets the master of the household, but he knows that he can’t be suspected now or Myung Soo will throw him out of the castle and all chances of possibly saving Sunggyu would be lost. How can he even treat the Venusian the same as before, knowing that he keeps the beautiful male prisoner and possibly takes advantage of his vulnerability? The thought alone makes Woohyun’s blood boil and more than once he wishes to hit Myung Soo unconscious with one of the flower pots, but he needs a plan if he wants to save the other.  
  
One night, Myung Soo goes out to a ball in another villa and Woohyun takes the chance to sneak into the room once more. He makes sure that Nox is nowhere near him. The dwarf is currently busy arguing with the chef in the kitchen, though the discussion could take a while since Woohyun has sabotaged the dinner without the chef noticing.  
  
The room is still drowned in white colors, even at night. The soft moonlight shines upon the glass cover and gives Sunggyu’s skin an almost blue color. Woohyun only stares at him for a while, before he finally starts searching for the buttons or any form of control to open that thing. His fingers are shaking from excitement and fear. He wants to free the other, to take him far away, but maybe Sunggyu would reject his help. Woohyun wants – no, he needs – an explanation for everything.  
  
His fingers finally find a small gap between the metal bottom and the glass part, where some buttons are aligned. He crouches down to find the correct one and the glass cover opens itself painfully slow. Woohyun can smell the typical mixture of chemicals in the air. He knows the scent from his travel with the shuttle. He has guessed correctly about the origin of the machine. Woohyun doesn’t dare to pick the other up or even touch him. He just stays next to the pod and waits for the pale man to awaken.  
  
Time seems to stretch to an eternity while he waits for the beauty to open his eyes. When he finally does open them, Woohyun is greeted with the sight of a pair of clear blue eyes. _So he’s from Mercury…_ They are as deep as the ocean and Woohyun almost drowns in their depth. He can see confusion in the eyes of the other; a bit of relief and a tiny spark of fear.  
  
“Don’t be scared. I…I want to help?” Woohyun starts carefully.  
  
The black-haired man moves his head slightly to observe Woohyun more. He doesn’t say anything, but his eyes clearly react to the word ‘help’.  
  
“…h-help…”  
  
Woohyun smiles. “Yes. Do you need help? I want to help you…if I can.”  
  
Sunggyu tries to raise his hand but he’s too weak and Woohyun grabs his hand instead. The hand feels fragile and cold against his own warm skin, but the pale man manages a small smile.  
  
“…out.” A tear leaves his left eye. “I want…to…go out.”  
  
Woohyun looks at the clock around his wrist. He won’t have enough time to get the other of here, especially since Sunggyu won’t be able to walk on his own. Nox would surely return to patrol the hallways soon and who knows when Myung Soo would return. He bites his lower lip. He suddenly feels bad for opening the machine without thinking first, but at least he now knows that Sunggyu is not there because he wants it.  
  
He gives the pale beauty a small smile. “Not today…”  
  
The other frowns and tries to sit up, but he can’t even manage to lift his fingers. God knows for how long he’s been under drugs and just lying around. Woohyun squeezes his hand lightly. “I-I’ll be back soon, okay? I’ll get you out of here, I promise.”  
  
Sunggyu blinks slowly and Woohyun thinks he’s about to drift away into sleep. “…name?”  
  
“Woohyun. Nam Woohyun.”  
  
“S-Sunggyu.” The pale man tries another weak smile.  
  
“I know. I’ll come again, okay? The next time you open your eyes, I will be there.” As if on instinct he raises his free hand and strokes Sunggyu’s cheek slowly. The skin is incredibly soft and Woohyun wishes they could stay like this forever.  
  
A sound outside the door makes him jump from his position. He hints Sunggyu to be quiet, but the other is not moving anyways. He just looks at Woohyun with a frightened gaze that screams ‘ _Don’t leave me alone. Don’t close the lid again. Take me away._ ’.  
  
“I’m sorry. I’ll be back, okay? Just close your eyes and dream of me.” Woohyun lets go of his hand and grabs the glass with his fingers to pull it down again. He has to avert his eyes because Sunggyu’s gaze is full of despair and he can’t bear to see it.  
  
He quickly looks for a hiding spot after it is closed again and manages to find it in the last second before Nox enters the room. The little butler takes a long look around with his narrowed eyes. Woohyun only dares to take a breath after Nox is gone from the room and his steps are slowly fading away. He gives Sunggyu another longing glance, before he leaves the room with a heavy heart. _I’ll definitely save you. Wait for me._ He doesn’t know much about Sunggyu, but Woohyun has already fallen for the other. He wants to see Sunggyu happy, not confined like that in a small space without really living.

  
  


* * *

  
  


  
Woohyun wakes up in the morning rather forcefully when a bucket of cold water splashes against his face. He grunts and tries to get a hold of the situation, but strong hands grab his arms instead and they pull him out of bed.  
  
He blinks and looks around. His eyes fall on the little man in front of him. “I knew you were trouble, monkey boy.”  
  
“W-What?” He asks in confusion. “I don’t know what you mean-“  
  
One of the guards punches him in the stomach and Woohyun groans in pain. He wants to roll into a ball because of the pain, but the strong hands on his arms won’t let him.  
  
“Let’s not play games. You’ve crossed a very dangerous line yesterday and Master Myung Soo is very, _very_ disappointed – though I have expected no less from some primitive ape like you.”  Nox speaks with poison in his voice, but Woohyun is already used to his rudeness.  
  
 _How did they find out? Did he see me yesterday? I have to get away …I have to save Sunggyu…_  
  
He’s starting to walk against his will as the two guards pull him along. Woohyun can guess the destination, because he knows the way all too well. They drag him to Myung Soo’s room. The Venusian noble is sitting next to his desk with his legs crossed and a dark expression on his face. There’s nothing friendly about him anymore and Woohyun wonders how the noble could’ve tricked him with his fake smile in the first place.  
  
“I’m very disappointed, Woohyun. I thought we were getting along well.” Myung Soo says with a cold smile.  
  
“I still don’t know why I’m here though.” Woohyun replies calmly and the remark earns him a punch in the face. He spits blood afterwards.  
  
Myung Soo merely keeps on smiling. “You broke one of the rules, Woohyun, and sadly, it’s the most important one.”  
  
The noble gets up and walks closer to him. He cups Woohyun’s chin and forces him to look up at him. “No one gets close to my property, Nam Woohyun. You made a crucial mistake yesterday. Do you know how I found out that you were in Sunggyu’s room?” He smirks at Woohyun, who tries to keep his gaze steady.  
  
“The traces of tears on his cheeks, Woohyun. He can only cry if he’s awake and that means someone has opened the glass lid, since he can’t do it himself. And I must say, the list of suspects is pretty small. I was suspicious after you asked me about Kara and the other girl, whatever her name was. Are you still curious what happened to them? Because you’re about to find out about it first-hand.”  
  
Woohyun shudders. “You’re sick. How can you keep him prisoner like that against his wish?”  
  
The noble laughs and pats his cheeks playfully. “Shouldn’t you understand it? You’re human after all, the only race truly able to feel that kind of emotion. _Love_. I love him, Woohyun, more than anything else in the world and what I grant him is a long life by my side. I can give him everything he needs, protect him from anything harmful like diseases or war.”  
  
“That’s not love. That’s just an obsession. Can’t you see that he is not happy?” Woohyun retorts angrily. He wants to punch that bastard, but the guards still have a strong hold on him.  
  
“Of course he is happy. Do you think someone like you can make him happy? What could you give him? You have nothing.” Myung Soo growls.  
  
Woohyun chuckles. “Like you said…I have love.”  
  
The Venusian slaps him in the face and the delicate fingers have surprising strength in them, but instead of showing the pain Woohyun only chuckles again. “You know that he’s not happy with you, that’s why you keep him in a cage like a bird. You’re afraid that he would run away-“  
  
“Take him away. I don’t ever want to see his disgusting face again.” Myung Soo interrupts him and walks away first. Woohyun laughs because the noble knows that he is right, though it probably won’t be of much use now. The guards drag him away through the back door and Nox gives him a satisfied grin, the first one Woohyun ever saw on him.  
  
“I hope you rot in hell, Woohyun.”  
  
“You said my name.” Woohyun laughs again.  
  
The dwarf man looks shocked for a moment, before he has his expression under control again. “Make sure that the ape will have a _pleasant_ travel to the afterlife.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
  
Woohyun doesn’t know where they bring him. He gets thrown into the trunk of a car with a black cloth around his head and a gag in his mouth. His wrists are tied together of course. Woohyun has no idea how he is supposed to get out of this alive. He has no plan whatsoever how he is going to save Sunggyu now. He is more worried about the other than himself. What if Myung Soo does something to him? Woohyun thrashes around in the trunk but it only earns himself more bruises. _Sunggyu …I’m sorry._  
  
The car stops after a while and he hears the trunk opening. Woohyun wants to beg them or ask them for help, but he can’t talk thanks to the gag. They drag him somewhere he can’t see due to the black cloth around his head. Before he can react, the guards push him forward. Woohyun stumbles a few times, before his feet suddenly meet no more ground and he feels himself falling.  
  
Although the fall feels like forever to him, Woohyun can’t think of anything. Nothing but Sunggyu comes to his mind. He wonders if someone will ever save him from his cruel destiny. Woohyun knows that he’s going to die, but he regrets nothing.  
  
He loves Sunggyu.  
  
The collision hits him all of a sudden. He feels a pain in his back, then his head crashes against something hard and then everything turns black.  
  
Real black.

 

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woohyun’s eyes snap open. He sits up immediately, though the gesture makes him experience a sharp pain from the wounds on his back and chest. He groans in pain and looks around in the room. He’s alive. He’s not dead. At least the little cottage doesn’t look like heaven – or hell – and the pain in his body is too real for someone dead. He can’t comprehend how he’s still alive. His body is wrapped up in bandages, but he can’t remember a thing after the fall.

The door to the cottage suddenly opens and Woohyun turns his head. His eyes widen when he recognizes Kara’s mother. “Oh, you’re finally awake. I was worried that you might not make it…”

She comes closer and urges him to lie down again. While she checks all of his wounds, big and small, Woohyun tries to find out what happened since his fall into the darkness.  
  
“You’ve been asleep for over a week, Woohyun. You were lucky that I was there the night they brought you away. I got impatient because you never came to my house to bring me information, so I went there that morning. I saw them stuffing you in the trunk and I just knew that I had to follow you or they would…do the same to you as…as they…” She lets out a sob and Woohyun raises a hand to stroke her arm.  
  
He’s still a bit shaken about the fact that he has been asleep for so long. Woohyun wonders if Sunggyu is all right. He is relatively sure that Myung Soo has woken him up at least once in the meantime. _I’m sorry for breaking my promise, Sunggyu._  
  
He looks up to the Venusian lady. “I’m sorry about your daughter…”  
  
She manages a smile. “Thank you…I followed the car to the cliff, where they threw you off. When they were gone, I went down to the valley to search for your body and lucky enough you were still alive. I guess I…I at least wanted to save one life. It pains me to think that they might have disposed of her in the same way. They need to pay, Woohyun. Who knows how many people they’ve killed already.”  
  
“I know…and I still have something to do in that household. They’re holding someone there against his will.”  
  
“I will try to help you, Woohyun. That’s the least I can do after you’ve tried to find my daughter for me. It’s probably my fault that you were in that kind of situation.”  
  
“It wasn’t your fault, but I guess I could use some help.” Woohyun gives her a warm smile and she nods.  
  
“Let’s get you up on your feet again first.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

  
They start their plan about five days later. Woohyun is not fully recovered yet, but he doesn’t want to wait any longer. Lil’s parents are taking care of a diversion at the front gate. The parents of the other maid gladly agreed to help after they explained the situation to them. Woohyun uses their diversion to get inside the castle unseen. He knows his way through the garden like no one else, so no guard catches him on his way to the inside. He is careful not to run into anyone on his way. Woohyun isn’t sure, who he can trust in the household, though he can definitely cross Nox from the list of possible helpers.  
  
He doesn’t know what Lil’s parents are doing at the front gate, but it makes almost every guard leave the inside of the castle. Woohyun presses his body against a wall when he hears Myung Soo’s voice getting closer. “What is this commotion?! I want an explanation!”  
  
Woohyun hides himself deeper in the shadows as Myung Soo walks around the corner of one of the hallways, but to his luck the other isn’t going down the floor where he is hiding. Nox isn’t by his side, which makes him kind of anxious, but at least Myung Soo has left the castle for now.  
  
He continues his way to the west wing and Woohyun passes Myung Soo’s room on the way. He gets an idea and quickly rushes inside to look for the important documents that the noble keeps hidden away. Woohyun has seen him hide them once during their meetings and he knows that Myung Soo’s rivals are eager to know how he can make so much money. Kara’s mother and Lil’s parents would surely thank him for that kind of information. They could use it to bring Myung Soo down.  
  
After obtaining the necessary documents, Woohyun hurries to the west wing. He can only hope that Sunggyu is still there. He hasn’t forgotten the possibility of Myung Soo hiding him somewhere else, but the noble thinks that he is dead. Why would he hide his treasure from a ghost?  
  
He opens the door to Sunggyu’s room slowly and glances inside. No one but the pale male is there. Like always Sunggyu is trapped in his cage. Somehow he looks more fragile than usual and Woohyun briefly wonders if Myung Soo has done him any harm during Woohyun’s absence. He steps closer to the machine when he suddenly notices a movement in the corner of his eyes. He can barely dodge the gunshot in time. A surge of energy flies past his cheek and hits the wall behind him.  
  
Woohyun hisses and turns his head. Nox is standing in one corner of the room with a gun in his hands. “I knew you were going to come. I’m not dumb enough to fall for your shit, monkey.”  
  
“I guess I’m honored that you believed in my skill strong enough to expect me back from the dead.” Woohyun retorts. He knows that he has to be fast because the gun will be charged again in a moment.  
  
“Don’t flatter yourself. Bugs like you are always the hardest to kill, but don’t worry, I will end your misery right now.” He aims the weapon at Woohyun’s chest, but the younger quickly jumps forward and pushes him to the ground.  
  
He may not be able to win against a Martian, but he would be damned if he lost a battle against a damn dwarf man. Woohyun punches Nox in the face and grabs the gun from his hands. He points it at the butler and the other laughs.  
  
“What? You think you have the guts to shoot me? You’re too much of a coward for that you filthy piece of-“  
  
Woohyun pulls the trigger, but closes his eyes nevertheless. He feels the gun shake as the ball of energy leaves it and then it literally lets Nox’ body explode. The noise makes him cringe and the warm liquid that hits his skin makes bite his lower lip in disgust. Woohyun gets up and wipes the blood from his face. He can’t bear to look at the corpse. The blood and the scent of death almost make him throw up on the spot, but he knows that he doesn’t have the time for regrets. He hasn’t done anything bad, he tells himself. Nox had deserved such a fate.  
  
He walks over to the machine and quickly pushes the button to open it. He throws the gun under the bed and picks up Sunggyu afterwards. He feels sorry because he’s getting blood on Sunggyu’s flawless skin, but he doesn’t really have the time to take a bath before rescuing him. Woohyun grabs him tightly and lets Sunggyu’s head rest against his shoulder. The other doesn’t show any signs of waking up yet, but maybe that’s for the best.  
  
He checks the hallway before he exits the room with fast steps. Woohyun almost runs into two guards on his way, but he is quick enough to hide himself behind a pillar. He doesn’t want to push his luck, so he continues his way through the castle a little slower than before. It’s no use if he gets caught now. _Don’t get impatient, Woohyun! You can’t mess up this time!_  
  
The suspense is almost killing him. Every time Woohyun has to hide, he is half-expecting someone to spot him and it worries him that Sunggyu still shows no sign of awakening despite all the ruckus around them. Woohyun feels safer once he is out in the garden and the darkness of the night grants him additional protection from the eyes of the security. The chilly air makes him shiver and Woohyun looks down at the man in his arms. Sunggyu must be freezing because he’s still only wearing a thin shirt. Woohyun hugs him closer to his chest and continues his way through the garden.  
  
He is relieved to find Kara’s mother at their meeting point behind the castle. She is waiting in front of her car and impatiently walking up and down. When she spots him, she immediately stops and jumps into the car. She starts the engine while Woohyun opens the door in the back. Woohyun puts the pale man down carefully and sits down next to him. Kara’s mother doesn’t wait until he has closed the door and just starts driving. Through her phone she has already sent out a message to Lil’s parents to retreat. Hopefully, both of them are still all right.  
  
Kara’s mother looks at them through the rearview mirror. “Is that the boy you wanted to save?”  
  
Woohyun puts a blanket over the black-haired angel and tries to wipe the traces of blood away from Sunggyu’s face. “Yes, he is. Before I forget it…I brought something for you too.”  
  
He takes out the crumbled papers from his pocket. They are soaked in blood, but the important parts should still be readable. “It’s information about Myung Soo’s business.”  
  
She wipes her eyes and gives him a smile. “Thank you, Woohyun. We will make good use of it, I promise.”  
  
Suddenly, a groan is heard and Woohyun turns his head back to Sunggyu. The other man is slowly waking up. He’s blinking his eyes several times and looks around in confusion. Woohyun meets his eyes and smiles. “Hey there! Sorry that I’m late.”  
  
Sunggyu’s eyes widen for a moment before he moves his head to look around. His shoulders start to shake and Woohyun can see that he’s crying. Without thinking he puts an arm around the skinny shoulders of the other and pulls him closer again until Sunggyu’s head rests against Woohyun’s shoulder again.  
  
“You’re free. You won’t have to go back. I’ll take you far away like I promised.” Woohyun kisses the top of his head. Kara's mother gives them another warm smile before she directs her attention back to the street.  
  
After a while Sunggyu even finds the strength to put his arms around Woohyun’s waist. “Thank you…”  
  
Woohyun rubs his back affectionately. “You’re welcome.”  
  
Sunggyu sighs against his chest. “I…I want to go home.”  
  
“Me too.” Woohyun whispers. “Let’s go together.”

  
  
  


* * *

 

  
  
Kara's mother drops them off at the airport. There’s only one more flight to Earth for today and Woohyun doesn’t have the time to buy tickets, so they can only enter the shuttle through illegal ways. Maybe that’s for the better since Woohyun has the feeling that Myung Soo could find out which flight they have boarded. He’s still a powerful noble on Venus after all. Woohyun says goodbye to Kara’s mother and Sunggyu also thanks her for the help. Lil’s parents have already contacted Kara’s mother to tell them that they are safe.  
  
Woohyun has to help the pale man out of the car because Sunggyu still can’t walk on his own. Sunggyu puts his arms around Woohyun’s neck and Woohyun picks him up. The Venusian lady gives them another smile. “Good luck, Woohyun. I hope both of you will be able to lead a peaceful life on Earth. Don’t worry, we will try to keep Myung Soo busy here. I won’t tell a soul where you went.”  
  
She drives off and Woohyun watches the car for a moment. He silently prays that whatever god the Venusians might have, will protect the two families. Woohyun thinks that he should’ve shot Myung Soo instead of Nox, but who is he kidding? He is no killer. His stomach still does a turn whenever he spots the blood on his clothes.  
  
“Woohyun.”  
  
He looks at Sunggyu. “I know. We have to catch our flight, right? I’m doing so many illegal things today.”  
  
He laughs nervously and Sunggyu chuckles against the curve of his neck. Woohyun thinks that he is ready to break a lot more rules if it meant to hear more of Sunggyu’s laughter.

  
  
  


* * *

 

 

When everybody on the ship is already sleeping, they leave their hiding place in the storage room and walk around the shuttle. Woohyun can finally take a look at the universe through the big windows.  
  
“It’s so beautiful.” Sunggyu comments next to him.  
  
“Is it your first time seeing it?” Woohyun asks curiously. They finally have the chance to talk in peace because the flight will take a while.  
  
The black-haired man nods and Woohyun admires the way the stars are reflected in his blue eyes. Sunggyu’s smile turns sad as the tips of his fingers touch the glass. “I didn’t see it…last time.”  
  
“Can I ask what happened?”  
  
Sunggyu sits down on the floor and pats the space next to him. “Of course you can. You saved me after all, but it’s not exactly a romantic story.”  
  
So the other tells him about his past. Sunggyu is from Earth like Woohyun had expected, but his grandmother was from Mercury originally and Sunggyu has inherited her blue eyes. He met Myung Soo for the first time during his high school days. Sunggyu was working part-time in a childcare and met the noble on his way home. The Venusian seemed like a nice person, but their meetings became more and more frequent with each day. Sometimes Myung Soo would be there when he left the house in the morning to go to school and he would follow him around until he is back at home. Sunggyu tried to explain to him that he didn’t want to be followed like that, but Myung Soo never listened. He just started to give him presents instead and started asking him out. In the end, the noble even asked him to go to his home planet with him, but Sunggyu declined of course. He didn’t love the other and he wanted to stay on Earth where his family and his friends were. After the rejection – which Myung Soo of course didn’t take well – the Venusian disappeared from his sight and Sunggyu thought that he had finally given up, but as soon as he let his guard down, Sunggyu got kidnapped. He didn’t have any chance to react or run as he got snatched from the streets. They pulled him into a dark van and drugged him. The world went black for Sunggyu and the next time he could open his eyes, he had already been brought to Myung Soo’s mansion on Venus without any memory of traveling there. He tried to escape and begged the noble to let him go, but his constant rejections only made Myung Soo more furious until the other finally had enough and imprisoned him in his ‘coffin’. It was a coffin for Sunggyu because he had felt like a corpse in it. His life at the mansion had been nothing but torture for him. Myung Soo would only let him wake up from time to time for about an hour. It was never enough time for Sunggyu to get a clear head again or to take a walk. Myung Soo would only change his clothes or bath him or simply talk to him. Sometimes the noble touched his skin, but Myung Soo had never gone further than that.  
  
Woohyun is relieved to know that Myung Soo hasn’t tainted the blue-eyed angel, though he still hates the noble for trapping Sunggyu like that against his will. “At the beginning I thought that someone might save me, but after a while I lost all sense of time and eventually gave up. I could only hope that Myung Soo would grow tired of me one day and let me go.”  
  
A single tear escapes Sunggyu’s right eye and Woohyun wipes it away with his fingers. He wishes that he could give Sunggyu all the years of his life back that he lost, but he can’t. Sunggyu grabs his hand gently and smiles at him. “But then you came.”  
  
“I came.” Woohyun repeats quietly. “And I won’t leave – well, maybe, if you want me to go. I don’t think you want to trade one creep against the next.”  
  
Sunggyu laughs softly at his joke and leans his cheek against the back of Woohyun’s hand. “Are you just another creep?”  
  
“If you give me the chance, I can prove to you that I’m much more. We don’t know much about each other yet, but I want to use the rest of my life to get to know you better. I knew that you are the one since the moment I found you in that room like a sleeping princess under a curse. I love you and I will always protect you. All the stars in the universe can be my witnesses.” Woohyun looks into Sunggyu’s eyes and the deep blue seems to draw him in.  
  
“Are you my hero then? A princess always gets her happy end with the hero.”  
  
“I’ll be whatever you want. I promise to be your hero, your home, your star. I had to travel all the way to Venus to find my destiny and now I’ll never let go of it – and I don’t mean that in a creepy locking you away-“ Sunggyu interrupts him with his lips on Woohyun’s and he forgets what he wanted to say next. The kiss makes him feel complete and they feel like they are the only living beings in the galaxy in that one moment. It makes him think that no garden in the world could ever match Sunggyu’s beauty and that maybe life on any planet would be perfect as long as they had each other.  
  
Woohyun silently thanks whatever force let the dart hit Venus back then, before he cups Sunggyu’s face to deepen the kiss.

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


  
They sneak out of the shuttle when they are back on Earth. Although they could be caught, Sunggyu and Woohyun laugh while they run out of the ship. They hold each other close on their way out of the airport. The feeling of being home seems to give Sunggyu new energy and Woohyun observes the other’s bright smile quietly. They use some of Woohyun’s money to get a cab that can drive them to Sunggyu’s hometown. The car soars through the landscapes and Sunggyu tells him a lot of things about his home. He hopes that his family is still living there and that they are still waiting for him.  
  
Woohyun is speechless when he sees Sunggyu’s home because the house is huge and it looks like it belongs to a rich family. The older man only smiles at him and drags him to the front door. They have to wait for a while before someone opens the door. The woman in the doorframe gasps and throws her arms around Sunggyu immediately. She calls her husband frantically and Sunggyu hugs his parents back.  
  
“You’re home. You’re alive!” Tears and touches are exchanged endlessly.  
  
Woohyun just stands at the side and smiles. It takes them a while before everything is explained, but Sunggyu’s parents almost drown him in hugs and kisses afterwards. They keep on thanking him for bringing their boy back and Woohyun tears up in between because he starts to miss his own parents.  
  
They stay with them at their house for a while, before Woohyun and Sunggyu move out again. They are scared that Myung Soo might look for him in his hometown, so Sunggyu’s parents buy them a house in the countryside. It is small and cozy and everything they need. Golden fields surround the house like a safety ring and at night the men lie down on the ground together to look at the stars.  
  
On one of the nights Woohyun takes up the courage to slip a ring on Sunggyu’s finger and Sunggyu gives him a smile that makes any star pale in comparison.

  
  
_Earth is still the best._


End file.
